Flexible joint for electric tubing.



No. 883,567. PATENTED OCT. 16, 1906.

W. E. WARD. FLEXIBLE JOINT FOR ELECTRIC TUBING.

APPLICATION FILED DEG.5.1905.

INVENTOR /11:01 1 [(JKIFCZ.

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ATTORNEY;

WITNESSES:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. Oct. 16, 1906'.

Application filed December 5,1905. Serial No. 290,868.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM E. WARD, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Bayonne, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, (with post-office address Bayonne, New Jerse have invented certain new and useful m rovements in Flexible Joints for Electric ubing, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the construction of flexible joints between sections of tubing carr ing electric' conductors.

T e main object of my invention is to provide a joint of such construction that the flexible electric cable or conductor ma pass from one section of tube to the other without obstruction at the joint and without undue bending or injur thereof from turning of the one section 0 tubing on the other at the joint.

The invention may be used for joints which allow turning in one plane or direction only or for universal joints designed to allow freedom of motion in all directions.

The invention consists, further,in the novel construction of a universal joint for sections of tubing carrying electric conductors and in the details of construction hereinaftermore particularly described and then specified in the claims.

While the principal object of my invention is to provide a joint either simple or universal whic will be free from obstruction in the line of the axis of the tubing, a further object is to so construct the joint that the screw or pin forming the pivot-pin shall not be liable to work loose and also to so construct the Toint that it shall operate as a friction-joint y which the parts shall be firmly held in any desired adjustedposition.

My invention is articularly useful for the joints of brackettures carrying electric am s or other electrical devices, but may be emp oyed also for other forms of electric fixtures.

' One part of m invention consists of the improved form 0 sheet-metal coupling-yoke comprising, essentially, a base erforated in line with the axis of the tube an having yoke arms or ears made by bending the sheet metal back and'forth in a number of reverse laps or folds between which the arm of a cooperating yoke for the joint is received.

The invention consists, further, in the combination of a sheet-metal yoke-arm formed in three or more reverse laps or folds, a coopcrating yoke-arm received between the outer lap and the two inner ones, and a screw forming the joint-pin and engaging a hole tapped in the two inner folds.

The invention also consists, broadly, of a universal oint for joining sections of electric tubing consisting of a coupling-piece cornrising two pairs of yoke-arms rojecting flomaperforated base and disposed in planes at right angles to one ano er and cooperating yokes secured ,respectively, to the ends of the section of tubing to be joined and having their arms individually pivoted to the arms of the coupling-piece. I

The invention also nsists in a couplingpieoe comprising two sheet-metal okes having perforated basfiiecured toget er base to base and having t ir yoke-arms dis osed in planes at right angles to one anot er and adapted for pivoting two yokes or arms projecting from or secured to the sections of tubmg to be joined.

The invention consists, further, in the special details of construction and combinations of parts, as hereinafter more particularly described and claimed.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of an electric fixture shown as a fixture ada ted for attachment to the to of a desk an comprising two sections of tube joined according to my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan of the device detached and partly broken away. Fi 3 is a horizontal section through the universal 'oint joining the sections of tubing. Fig. 4 illustrates the sheet-metal blank from which one of the yokes of the cou ling-piece may be made. Fig. 5 shows the s eet blank adapted for the yoke attached directly to one of the sections of tubing.

1 indicates the flexible electric cable or conductor strung throu h the sections of tubing 3 3, which are flexib y jointed to one another. I have for the sake of illustration shown my invention as applied to an electric bracket or fixture for attachment to a desk-to 2, the means of attachment being such as s own or of any other desired character. The tubing may be of telescopic construction. Around the ends of the sections 3 3 of the tube are fastened the perforated yokes 4 4. Each yoke has its base perforated at 5 inline with the axis of the tube, to which it is secured, while its arms are perforated at the oints indicated in dotted lines 6 of Fig. 5 or the reception of the pivot-pins of the joint. This yoke consists, preferably, of sheet metal, and.

it is secured in position with its opening'5 in line with the opening through the tube in any desired wayas, for instance, upon the over the base to secure it in place. The mannet of fastening the yoke to the tube may be modified in any desired way without departing from my invention.

For the pur ose of makin a universal joint between t 1e sections 3 3 use a double or folds the arm of coupling-yoke, each member of which is preferably made of sheet metal. A blank suitable for making each member of the double cou ling-yoke is shown in Fi 4. The shape of t lis blank when bent to orm the yoke is clearly shown in the section of one member or portion of the double yoke, as seen in Fig. 3.

8 is the base of the yoke having an o ening at 9, which is in line'with the opening t rough the tube carrying the cooperating yoke 4 or 4, to which it-is pivotally connected. The arm of the yoke is formed of a number of reverse folds or la s of-the sheet metal, the two inner ones of w 'ch (designated at 10 10 on the blank) lie against one another and form a double thickness of metal which may be tapped for reception of the screw pivot-pin 11. The outer lap or free end 12 of the blank formsa bearing for the head of the screw-pin, and between said outer lap or laps 12 and the double thickness formed by the two inner laps the cooperating yoke secured to a section of tubing is received. Said cooperating yoke-arm turns freely upon the unmutilated portion of the pivotin 11. The outer lap 12 forms also a bearin of the pin 11. By this means 1t will be obvious not only that the yoke, as ,4 or 4', may swing freely upon the pivot-pin without danger of turning or loosening the same in the threaded openin tapped in the double thickness, but also t ere will be a stifi frictionjointformed by settin up the screw 11, so that the section 3 will f irmly retain any posi tion into which it'may be turned. To form a double-yoke coupling-piece the two members of which shall cooperate properly with the yokes on the ends of the sections of tubing and provide a universal joint, I may construct said double-yoke coup ing-piece from two yokes, each of which may be formed as just described. The perforated bases of these yokes are fastened together base to base, but

with the yoke-arms of one disposed at right angles to thearms of the other. The base of tliefsecond yoke of this compound yoke is in- (heated at 8, and one of the pivot-pins thereforis indicated at 11'. Their perforated bases are arranged with their openings in line, and in said openin is located a bushing or eyelet 14,

which may e made of sheet metal and which the tubes 3 3.

or the head in the peripheral as clearly shown in the drawings. Other ways of constructing the compound or double coupling-yoke may be employed, and when the same is made of two separate yokes other ways of fastening such yokes together base to base may be employed without departing" from my invention.

By using individual pivot-pins for the two arms of each member or portion of the double yoke and b "providing a perforation or opening throng the base it is obvious that the flexible conductors or cable maypass through the universal joint without obstruc-' tion. The same construction of sheet-metal yoke that is employed for one member of the double yoke in the universal joint maybe employed for a joint constructed to allow sion 15 of tube-section 3 is shown provided with such a yoke'. The cooperatlng yoke (indicated at 16) is shown properly secured to a tubular extension 17, projecting axially from the base of an electric switch and socket 18. Said yoke 16 may be of the same construction as the yoke secured to the ends of 'The same construction could be obviously em loyed at any point in a system of tubin w ere it is desired to rovlde for running. t e electric. conductors t ough the tube and permitting fiexure at a joint between the sections of tubing inone, lane. The devices shown for attachment of t e apparatus to the top of a desk comprise a chp 19,made to slide upon a rod 20, depending from the end of tube 21. Said clip is operated and fixed in position by screw 22, assin through tube 21. The section 3 o the tu ing slides like a section of telescopic tubing in a tube 21 and is rovided with an adjustable clip 23, adapted to engagethe front edge of the desk-top. Said clip is carried by a s eeve 24, sliding on section 3. and fixed in position thereon by set-screw 25. A setscrew 26 fixes the section 3'in any desired position of adjustment in the tube-21.

I do not limit 'myselftothe use of one flexible joint, but might use two or more secured to each other back to back and havin 'the plane of one at an angle to the lane 0 the other in order to secure .more exibility of the tubing.

What Iclaim as my invention i s 1. A universal joint for joining sections of electric tubing, consisting of a coupling-piece I comprising two pairs of yokefarms pro ecting from'a perforated base disposed in planes at right angles to'one'another, and coo crating yokes secured respectivelyto the ends of the section of tubing to be joined and having their arms individually pivoted to the arms of the coupling-piece.

8'5 Q flexure in one plane only. This is illustrated in Figs. .1 and 2, where the telescopic extenling-yoke 2. A universal joint for joining sections of electric tubing, comprisin a coupling-piece consisting of a pair of yo es having perforated bases united base to base and having their arms disposed in planes at'right angles to one another, and cooperating yokes secured respectively to the ends of the section of tubing to be joined and having their arms individually pivoted to the arms of the coupling-piece.

3. In a joint for electric tubin a couplingyoke consistin of sheet meta and having a perforated ase, the perforation of which is in line with the axis of the tube and havin yoke-arms formed of a number of reverse aps of metal the two inner ones of which form a double thickness of metal for reception of a screw forming a pivot-pin of the oint.

4. In a joint for electric tubing, a coupof sheet metal having a erforated base and arms com osed of a numlier of laps or folds of the meta the two inner laps forming a double thickness of metal for reception of a screw forming a pivot-pin, a cooperating yoke-arm located between the two inner laps and the end lap and a pivotin tapped 1n the inner laps and forming a bearing for the cooperating yokc arm.

- 5. In a universal joint for electric tubing, a coupling-piece consisting of a pair of sheetmetal okes secured together base to base with t eir arms arranged respectively in planes at right angles to one another, and a fastening bushing or eyelet, the opening in which is in line with the axis of the tubes to be joined.

6. In a universal joint for electric tubing, a double coupling-yoke consisting of two yokes of sheet metal having their perforated bases assembled base to base and having their arms composed of one or more laps or folds of sheet metal and a fastening eyelet or bushing having a peri heral groove between whose edges the two bases are fastened.

7. In a universal joint for electric fixtures, the combination of a double perforated coupling-yoke having a central opening and airs of yoke-arms projecting in opposite directions from a common base and cooperating perforated yokes upon the ends of the sections of fixture to be joined and having their arms pivotally connected respectively with arms of the coupling-yoke.

8. In a flexible joint for electric tubing,the combination of a perforated sheet-metal yoke secured to the end of a section of tubing and a cooperating centrally erforated sheetmetal yoke having an arm ormed of a number of reverse laps or folds of sheet metal adapted to receive an arm of the yoke secured to the tubin between them.

9. In a universaIjoint for electric tubing, a sheet-metal yoke an arm of which is composed of reverse folds or laps of sheet metal, a cooperating yoke-arm located between said laps and a pivot-pin consisting of a screw w ich is tapped into the double fold of the first-namedyoke, while the other has a hearing u on another fold or lap of said yoke, as and or the purpose described.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 22d day of November, A. D. 1905.

' WILLIAM E.'WARD. Witnesses:

C. F. TISCIINER,J1., LILLIAN BLOND. 

